Best restaurants in Cornwall Published 17 September 2024
From the charming fishing village of Padstow to the beautiful coastal town of Rock, Cornwall caters confidently to visitors as much as food-loving locals. Whether you're in the mood for fresh-off-the-boat seafood or Sunday lunch with a breathtaking view, this county is home to some of the best restaurants in Britain.
Dylan Thomas put his admiration for the loveliness of this Cornish coastal spot on record in 1936, when he rented a cottage here. The charm is undiminished to this day, not least since the town now boasts Joe Wardell's bustling, d… Read more
Dylan Thomas put his admiration for the loveliness of this Cornish coastal spot on record in 1936, when he rented a cottage here. The charm is undiminished to this day, not least since the town now boasts Joe Wardell's bustling, double-fronted restaurant just a skip up from the harbour. A sheltered garden offers summer comfort to the alfresco constituency, but the place is welcoming throughout. Outdoors or in, the kitchen serve up 'excellent fresh fish dishes, time after time,' with moules marinière, smoked mackerel pâté or salt-and-pepper squid with sweet chilli dip to kick things off. Main course could be a classic shellfish risotto or seafood curry, or perhaps lemon sole fillets crumbed in panko and served with minted pea purée (nothing mushy here, thank you), rosemary chips and caper mayo. There are steaks or venison ragù with pappardelle for the refuseniks, and caramelised rice pudding to finish, flashed up with Armagnac-soaked prunes. Wines include as many reds as whites, with standard glasses from £5.40. The latest addition to the business is a shop, No 1 Millpool Deli/Stores, just around the corner.
If you’re looking for the freshest Cornish seafood, treated with simplicity and culinary intelligence, look no further than this purpose-built, wood-clad building overlooking Newlyn’s picturesque harbour, just a few st… Read more
If you’re looking for the freshest Cornish seafood, treated with simplicity and culinary intelligence, look no further than this purpose-built, wood-clad building overlooking Newlyn’s picturesque harbour, just a few steps from the town’s famous fish market. In agreeable weather a table on the terrace is a prime spot, but the views are just as good from inside the intimate dining room. Co-owned by Rochelle Canteen's former head chef Ben Coombs and Newlyn fishmonger Richard Adams, Argoe's short menu is dictated by the day's catch. For one visitor, Sunday lunch was a masterclass in less-is-more cooking based on sustainable varieties of seafood: deep-fried whole megrim served with a punchy aïoli and grilled John Dory simply garnished with a lemon wedge were both 'cooked to perfection'. At the same meal, a superlative fish soup of deep flavour was as good as many a more famous version. Desserts are a knockout too, if a generously proportioned and beautifully baked American-style strawberry shortcake featuring ripe, flavour-packed berries and lashings of cream is anything to go by. The crème caramel-like baked custard with rum-soaked raisins is a must-order, too. Some may find the truncated list of low-intervention wines (just three whites and one each of sparkling, rosé, orange and red) a little limited, especially as they are offered on tap only, but a 500ml carafe of Mâcon Blanc 'went down a treat' – as did some well-made Negronis and a snack of homemade crisps with a butter bean dip. Add in genuinely welcoming service and a relatively modest bill and you have an irresistible, hugely enjoyable proposition.
Working farm, rural retreat and country restaurant rolled into one
* From 3 April 2025, the restaurant will be moving to a four-course evening menu priced at £65 pp. Sunday lunch will remain a three-course menu at £50 pp. The owners are also planning to close for the winter months fro… Read more
* From 3 April 2025, the restaurant will be moving to a four-course evening menu priced at £65 pp. Sunday lunch will remain a three-course menu at £50 pp. The owners are also planning to close for the winter months from October 2025.*
Coombeshead is a working, developing farm with owner Tom Adams making new decisions all the time about what livestock to keep, what to grow that will best suit the soils, and how to present the bounty of the land to its best advantage. The accommodation aspect of the business is its principal attraction (not least for the excellent breakfasts) but a three-course menu at £50 for lunch or dinner is well worth a detour.
Proceedings open with the famously good bread served with sunny-yellow farmhouse butter before a starter of mangalitza pork terrine or a simple preparation of just-picked vegetables. Main courses could be a hefty leg of guinea fowl, served with stewed tomato and string beans, plus dressed salad leaves. Our inspector's dessert – a perfectly rendered frangipane tart of haskap berries with clotted cream – felt like the best kind of farmhouse cooking.
As for wine, it's a matter of browsing the cellars for yourself and picking out something suitable. If you've arrived hot-foot from far away, take a long, meandering wander around the fields. Smell the wild garlic. Look at the chickens and the piglets. Relax.
Set on a 120-acre farm in the heart of the Tamar Valley, Crocadon is chef Dan Cox’s passion project, his answer to regenerative, sustainable farming and the pursuit of pure produce. It's a work in progress from the former Si… Read more
Set on a 120-acre farm in the heart of the Tamar Valley, Crocadon is chef Dan Cox’s passion project, his answer to regenerative, sustainable farming and the pursuit of pure produce. It's a work in progress from the former Simon Rogan lieutenant, who has put blood, sweat and tears into developing the soil-centric fields and pasture, establishing a diverse range of heritage and better-known varieties of plants and vegetables, and building up his flock of rare-breed sheep – all of which supply the restaurant at the centre of the farm. Launched in spring 2023, the bijou dining room (housed in an historic barn) is a Scandi-style space where ornate House of Hackney wallpaper at the entrance gives way to stone walls, beams, light wooden tables and sheepskin-clad chairs. Tasting menus (£75 or £105) which run for three evenings a week, are a culinary assault course – an adventurous trip highlighting what the land can produce while celebrating a tight network of best-in-class suppliers. In comparison, we found Sunday lunch (£45) to be a more accessible feast – and surprisingly good value, given the culinary wizardry coming from the open-plan kitchen. The main event centres around Crocadon’s lamb, perhaps a six-year-old Romney/Lleyn cross. Seamed-out leg meat is served tender and pink, while slow-cooked, melt-in-the-mouth shoulder is decorated with fruity Cylindra beetroot and pickled in shiso. Accompanying garden vegetables could include smoky barbecued carrots, a purée of pickled carrots and nasturtiums, a lasagne-inspired Kalibos cabbage layered with Crocadon’s fresh cheese, and a leguminous fricassée of flageolet beans, broad beans and runner beans blended with a delicious emulsion made with lemon pepper and topped with crispy kale. For dessert, Crocadon's play on Eton mess is a minty herb cream (using pickings from the restaurant’s garden entrance), blended with herb- and rose-flavoured meringues and served with an elderflower sherbet and gooseberry jam – proving that what grows together, goes together. The drinks list is short but perfectly curated: wines by the glass have a focus on soil health and agriculture, and there are delightful non-alcoholic pairings such as meadowsweet and lavender cordial. The on-site café and bakery are well worth a detour too.
Likeable neighbourhood spot with bags of sympathetic charm
Above Carlyon Bay, at one end of a parade of shops and cafés behind an area of off-road parking, there is more culinary glamour to Edie's than might first appear. Co-owner and chef Nigel Brown has done stints at Le Man… Read more
Above Carlyon Bay, at one end of a parade of shops and cafés behind an area of off-road parking, there is more culinary glamour to Edie's than might first appear. Co-owner and chef Nigel Brown has done stints at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons and at the late Bill Granger's Sydney restaurant. Inside, the place feels like a true neighbourhood spot, not least because it is run with such sympathetic charm.
Contemporary brasserie cooking is the name of the game, with a good-value fixed-price menu supplementing an appreciably adventurous carte. First off might be a dazzling salad of Isle of Wight tomatoes with pickled shallots, pangrattato, whipped feta and basil oil, an energising blaze of colour. Much is made of the starter soufflés, perhaps Comté cheese with spinach and wild mushroom fricassée. Soft gnudi make a satisfying lunchtime main, accompanied by a riot of spring veg in lemon butter with crumbled sourdough croûtes adding crunch, while fish dishes are all you might expect for the location – maybe halibut with brown shrimps and saffron potatoes in curry sauce. Fillet steaks with hand-cut chips, watercress and Café de Paris butter will be a dead cert for a large proportion of the clientele.
Finish with elderflower panna cotta, yoghurt sorbet and lemon curd or – if you missed its savoury cousin earlier on – a raspberry soufflé with rum anglaise and vanilla ice cream. The short, helpfully annotated wine list has reasonable mark-ups, with glasses from £5.25.
Owned by David Gingell and Jeremie Cometto-Lingenheim, the duo behind London venues Westerns Laundry, Primeur and Jolene, this Cornish venture is built on similar foundations: simple cooking, provenance, sustainability and natural… Read more
Owned by David Gingell and Jeremie Cometto-Lingenheim, the duo behind London venues Westerns Laundry, Primeur and Jolene, this Cornish venture is built on similar foundations: simple cooking, provenance, sustainability and natural wines. Housed in a former bank, yards from Fowey's quay and waterfront, it offers a bijou menu dominated by seafood, while the petite wine list promises a selection of natural tipples from small producers. Note: Fitzroy is a seasonal restaurant, closed from October to March.
Calum and Tracey Greenhalgh's tiny, no-fuss daytime café (just round the corner from the acclaimed Outlaw’s New Road) is all about fish and shellfish. The catch from the Evan George, Calum's boat, takes centre stage a… Read more
Calum and Tracey Greenhalgh's tiny, no-fuss daytime café (just round the corner from the acclaimed Outlaw’s New Road) is all about fish and shellfish. The catch from the Evan George, Calum's boat, takes centre stage and responsible fishing is the name of the game. Visitors delight at the sight of a counter full of tempting seafood – lobsters, crabs, mackerel and much, much more. Crab sandwiches remain a firm favourite, otherwise look out for lobster salad, smoked mackerel pâté, or the feast platter, which is just that: whole lobster, dressed crab, Porthilly oysters. Drink house wine, Prosecco or local beers. Seasonal opening.
Ingenious global flavours in a popular Cornish bolthole
On the harbour head in peaceable Porthleven, Kota feels every inch the rustic Cornish bolthole, with its red tiled floor, mutually reflecting mirrors and engaging, friendly staff. What lifts it out of the ordinary are the flavour … Read more
On the harbour head in peaceable Porthleven, Kota feels every inch the rustic Cornish bolthole, with its red tiled floor, mutually reflecting mirrors and engaging, friendly staff. What lifts it out of the ordinary are the flavour combinations Jude Kereama brings to all of his dishes. With both Maori and Malaysian/Chinese heritage, he has an ingenious approach to seasoning and spicing, as well as an understanding of textural variation – and the results never seem to fall short.
Eat from the carte or choose the six-course tasting menu, which offers similar dishes with apposite wine pairings (‘pure fine dining,’ according to one reader). Nibbles of smoked mackerel doughnuts or oysters with rhubarb vinegar set the tone, ahead of hand-dived scallops with turnip, apple, buttermilk and lovage or lemon sole with a rich coconut and lobster bisque, sea buckthorn and grapes. Meat also gets a look-in, be it pork belly with cauliflower, plum boshi and cabbage or beef with black garlic, maitake mushrooms and smoked potato.
Finish perhaps with sweet-savoury choux bun with Jerusalem artichoke ice cream, black-garlic caramel and truffle praline or baked cheese and hibiscus mayo accompanied by a rhubarb, raspberry and custard crumble. The 50-bin wine list favours Kereama's Kiwi birthplace, with Riesling allowed to demonstrate its food-friendly paces – either varietally or blended, acerbically dry or with the citric sweetness of late harvesting.
*Following a refurb, Kota Kai has relaunched with more covers, a 'statement bar', updated interiors and a revamped menu including dishes from the Josper grill. Watch for a new review coming soon.*
Facing Jude Kereama’s accl… Read more
*Following a refurb, Kota Kai has relaunched with more covers, a 'statement bar', updated interiors and a revamped menu including dishes from the Josper grill. Watch for a new review coming soon.*
Facing Jude Kereama’s acclaimed main restaurant, Kota, this second-string eatery is a first-floor space that feels a little like a loft apartment. A very long room offering good views over the harbour, it serves up a largely pan-Asian menu of popular favourites – say salt-and-pepper squid, tempura tofu, soft-shell crab bao, seafood laksa, vegetable ramen or chicken massaman – with one or two western interlopers in the shape of mushroom arancini, feather-blade steak or fish and chips. Drink cocktails or wine from £25.
Plumb in the middle of Newlyn, Mackerel Sky comprises two venues, a couple of doors apart. The Shack has a weekly-changing menu during the busy holiday season, but the principal action goes on at the Seafood Bar. There are no rese… Read more
Plumb in the middle of Newlyn, Mackerel Sky comprises two venues, a couple of doors apart. The Shack has a weekly-changing menu during the busy holiday season, but the principal action goes on at the Seafood Bar. There are no reservations. Turn up early, and be prepared to queue on the street at busy times. People do. What they keep coming back for is a roll call of simple but appealing fish cookery, presented as plates that are a fair bit larger than 'small'. Tick a couple of options using a marker pen on the laminate menu, and see how you go. We enjoyed two breadcrumbed fillets of lemon sole with a tangle of pickled red cabbage and a pot of katsu curry sauce, as well as a hefty whole mackerel, browned all over, with samphire and pickled cucumber. Otherwise, there might be a panko-crusted monkfish burger in a brioche bun with chilli, mussels in creamy cider sauce or a crab mayo sandwich. A generous bowl of marinated anchovies (like tapas boquerones) is a good way in, while a chalkboard shows the day's special. It's all fresh and fun, with shared counter seating and a bevy of chefs crammed into an unfeasibly small kitchen area at the back. The short drinks list includes a South African blended white with plenty of fruit.
Communal dining and sustainable seafood in a converted boatshed
Down at the quieter end of Fowey, the Friskney-Bryer's converted boatshed restaurant enjoys oblique views of the comings and goings of small craft out on the creek. The main room has one long communal table down the middle, with a… Read more
Down at the quieter end of Fowey, the Friskney-Bryer's converted boatshed restaurant enjoys oblique views of the comings and goings of small craft out on the creek. The main room has one long communal table down the middle, with a kitchen that is not so much open to view as half-protruding into the dining space (the sort of set-up you'd pay a premium for at a boutique hotel 'chef's table'). Festoon lighting makes the place look bonny as the Cornish dusk descends, and the blackboard menus are cause for unmuted celebration.
Ethan Friskney-Bryer was head chef here before acquiring the place in February 2024, and remains as committed as ever to the principles of variety and sustainability in seafood. It's the kind of place where your fish might well have been caught by one of the chefs. The local mussels in garlic butter and cider are a reliably popular draw, preceded perhaps by a plate of pickled anchovies or a clutch of Porthilly rock oysters. Main dishes take in perfectly timed white fish such as sea bass with chard in delightfully fresh lemon butter, or butterflied mackerel with garlic stalks and bacon. It's important not to miss the garlic one way or another, as is evident from the gentle thrum it lends a beetroot starter, enriched with creamy goat's cheese.
With glorious, rosemary-oiled focaccia to sop everything up, you will find yourself steered towards the one dessert of the day, perhaps a light and airy chocolate mousse with caramel and a judicious sprinkling of salt. A handful of wines by the glass (most priced at £4.50) just about do the trick.
It may be hidden away at the front of the Bedruthan Hotel (walk through the hotel and down through the standard restaurant to get to it), but large windows along the front of this 'very minimalist' space make the most of views ove… Read more
It may be hidden away at the front of the Bedruthan Hotel (walk through the hotel and down through the standard restaurant to get to it), but large windows along the front of this 'very minimalist' space make the most of views overlooking Mawgan Porth beach and cove. To start, you are simply brought a selection of tapas-style snacks, perhaps mackerel tacos with ponzu, pickled shallots and cucumber, truffle arancini with black garlic, or baba ganoush with dukkah and sumac. Mains and desserts are then chosen from a brief menu. At inspection, 'beautifully cooked' pan-fried cod served with a mini fishcake on a bed of mushy peas, accompanied by a crisp fondant potato ‘chip’ (plus pickled mussel and 'tartare beurre blanc' to cut through the richness) was a clever take on fish and chips, while pork belly was bolstered by a hit of smoky 'nduja ragù. Desserts could be raspberry and pistachio millefeuille or crème brûlée, and there are local cheeses too. The wine list is unfussy and good value, with bottles starting at £23.
* At lunchtime, guests can now order individually priced dishes in addition to the 'Fish Kitchen to Share' tasting menu. *
‘I saved the best till last,’ commented a visitor to this ‘remarkable small restaurant&r… Read more
* At lunchtime, guests can now order individually priced dishes in addition to the 'Fish Kitchen to Share' tasting menu. *
‘I saved the best till last,’ commented a visitor to this ‘remarkable small restaurant’ overlooking the slipway. Housed in the oldest building in the fishing village where Doc Martin was filmed, it’s all ancient, gnarled ships’ timbers, a very low ceiling and the definite feeling of pouring a quart into a half-pint pot (the tiny bathroom requires a determined effort at self-compression). The whole place is run with great enthusiasm, with the six-course tasting menu – ‘lovely, simple, brief’ – moving along at a reassuring pace. It’s another string to Nathan Outlaw’s bow, a local, seasonal and sustainable commitment filtering down from parent Outlaw’s New Road at the top of the village. Here, the offerings might take in diced cured bass, dressed in spiced pumpkin ketchup and served on a crisp blue corn tostado (so popular it’s fast achieving cult status); a lobster dumpling in seafood broth, which comes with a piece of sensational sesame toast; and crisply breadcrumbed megrim sole, with pickled slaw and jalapeño mayonnaise. Elsewhere, John Dory was excellent at inspection, big enough in flavour to stand up to an old-school creamy mushroom sauce. With the bounty of the seas getting star billing, you might expect dessert to be a perfunctory offering, but not so. A dome of browned Italian meringue contains seductively tangy passion fruit and lime parfait on a coconut shortbread biscuit base. There are some aristocratic wines on the short list, with both Cornwall and the classic French regions showing up well. Note, the tiny dimensions mean that the Fish Kitchen gets booked up way ahead.
While Nathan Outlaw's Fish Kitchen is deeply embedded in the tight little streets of Port Isaac, New Road sits proud at the top of the approach. Its windows have salty sea vistas, and a gull's-eye view of the car park from the fro… Read more
While Nathan Outlaw's Fish Kitchen is deeply embedded in the tight little streets of Port Isaac, New Road sits proud at the top of the approach. Its windows have salty sea vistas, and a gull's-eye view of the car park from the front tables, but the ambience is pleasingly informal. The tablecloths are gone these days, and the number of courses on the taster has grown from nine to eleven, but when regulars are on first-name terms with the staff, it's clear that the titular chef inspires as much tenacious loyalty as he ever did. These are seafood dishes that respect their prime materials, both gastronomically and ecologically, and don't hide their light under a bushel of extraneous accompaniments. The sweet scallops with smoked roe mayo are free-dived off Salcombe by Jamie Kirkcaldy, who can hold his breath for five minutes – longer than it might take you to eat them. They are anointed with judicious applications of lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Simples. Smart acidity is often the key to successful fish dishes, and so it is with the cured horse mackerel that comes layered with crumbled pistachio and basil oil, while its cooked counterpart is sharpened with a green sauce of tarragon and mint. As the menu progresses, dishes become gradually, subtly richer – witness the velvet crab potion that sauces a serving of sea bass (partnered by springy-textured Cheddar and rosemary bread for mopping up the gorgeous liquor) or the regal piece of turbot that appears in a late-summer vegetable nage, the whole lifted with pink peppercorns and cumin. A gooey chocolate ganache bar with biscuit base is enough to win over any choco-sceptic – especially as it comes with whopping raspberries doused in elderflower syrup and minted yoghurt sorbet. Drink pairings are admirably ingenious, from a palate-priming Japanese shochu with the treacle bread to a rare Portuguese Viognier and a daring punt on a silky-light Morgon with that turbot. It's a more compact list than New Road used to offer, but that's no bad thing, and most selections are available by the glass.
He may not have the public profile of all-conquering Rick Stein, but Paul Ainsworth is a big player in Padstow these days – and this engaging Georgian townhouse is his gastronomic HQ. Cool artwork and a ‘great soundtra… Read more
He may not have the public profile of all-conquering Rick Stein, but Paul Ainsworth is a big player in Padstow these days – and this engaging Georgian townhouse is his gastronomic HQ. Cool artwork and a ‘great soundtrack’ add some upbeat vibes to the two modest dining rooms, while staff get a special mention for their thoroughly professional attitude and ‘sense of humour’. That said, Ainsworth's cooking is indubitably the star of the show. The menu is divided into four sections highlighting the chef’s technical prowess, his loyalty to seasonal produce and his bold culinary imagination. Ainsworth's modish approach and his pairing of disparate ingredients may seem tantalisingly outré, but the results invariably draw ‘sighs of pleasure’: ‘bird’s liver’ with carrot ketchup and smoked eel; truffle-cured cod with roast chicken and manzanilla; ‘all of the pigeon’, various gamey conceits including a confit leg wrapped in crispy shredded kataifi pastry sitting on umeboshi condiment (made from Japanese salted plums), followed by a dark pain au chocolat filled with the remaining bits of the bird. To finish, there might be some artisan cheese with 'apple pie', but all eyes inevitably turn to the near-legendary ‘Fairground Tale’ (as seen on TV). Roll up for three edible sideshows: the ‘old tyme coconut shy’ (a towering bitter chocolate and coconut soufflé with chilled cocoa and rum custard); a miniature, hand-painted wooden carousel bearing a chocolate bar and a crunchy brown-butter choc ice wrapped in paper; and finally, ‘all the fun of the fair’ – a wickedly rich muscovado-glazed doughnut served warm with raspberry curd and butter-roasted peanuts. Matching this is a wine list stuffed with bottles that the owners like to drink; France claims pole position but the range is global, and there are some tasty by-the-glass selections too. ‘A brilliant dining experience that made the six-hour drive down from Kent more than worthwhile,’ concluded one couple.
The serene white building on a broad sandy beach with fabulous panoramic views is most directly reached by a stepped footpath that descends from the main road. It is wholly unlit at night. Set your phone to torch, and take care. F… Read more
The serene white building on a broad sandy beach with fabulous panoramic views is most directly reached by a stepped footpath that descends from the main road. It is wholly unlit at night. Set your phone to torch, and take care. Fish and seafood are the specialities (whole Dover sole or shellfish linguine, perhaps), with enticing meat and vegetarian options too (Indonesian curries, fried halloumi with tomato and bean cassoulet). A serviceable wine list comes at manageable prices.
If you’re looking for a casual, cut-price take on the 'Padstein' experience, this all-purpose eatery in the frenetic hinterland of downtown Padstow should fit the bill. Drop by for breakfast or a cup of coffee, feed the kids… Read more
If you’re looking for a casual, cut-price take on the 'Padstein' experience, this all-purpose eatery in the frenetic hinterland of downtown Padstow should fit the bill. Drop by for breakfast or a cup of coffee, feed the kids at lunchtime or book in for a ‘very enjoyable evening’ against a backdrop of bright colours, white walls and light-wood furniture – there are even three bedrooms upstairs if you fancy staying over. As you might expect, the kitchen majors in seafood from the Padstow boats, so dip into an assortment of Rick Stein’s greatest hits at user-friendly prices. Briny freshness and globetrotting flavours collide in classics such as Thai fishcakes, mussels with black beans, garlic and ginger or grilled hake with spring onion mash and soy butter. The kitchen is also happy to go off-piste, offering chargrilled rump steak with peppery rocket, thin-cut chips and béarnaise sauce, as well as a veggie stew of tomatoes, aubergines and tamarind – plus sourdough for dunking. For afters, sticky toffee pud with clotted cream is the go-to option. A cluster of fish-friendly wines (from £23) provide suitable refreshment.
Shoehorned into the Digey, in the heart of old St Ives, Source Kitchen brings a breath of fresh 21st-century air to the surrounding pastyland and fudgescape. It's a bright room with simple wood tables, Windsor bistro chairs and wi… Read more
Shoehorned into the Digey, in the heart of old St Ives, Source Kitchen brings a breath of fresh 21st-century air to the surrounding pastyland and fudgescape. It's a bright room with simple wood tables, Windsor bistro chairs and wine bottles piled into an overhead shelf. The drill is snacks – bread, olives, salted almonds, Padrón peppers – followed by a selection of not-too-small plates for collaborative digging and delving. Simplicity is the key, whether for veggie offerings (charred king cabbage; garlicky butter beans with preserved lemon; organic beetroot with shaved fennel) or for the omnivore's preferences. These might be cleanly picked Cornish crab in a flat roundel, the white top concealing the dark dressed meat, alongside a serving of pickled cucumber and crostini, or a cannonball of fine Creedy Carver duck rillette equipped with a translucent cube of Victoria plum jelly, a heap of cornichons and enough sourdough to keep you preoccupied. In the evening, expect the likes of lamb loin with baba ganoush, salsa verde and puffed wild rice. An autumn lunch finished with a bowl of gorgeous chocolate mousse, garnished with yoghurt and ginger granita plus shards of pecan praline. Wines by the glass showcase some of England's new wave: Gusbourne's Kentish sparklers; brashly flowery London Cru Bacchus (grown in Sussex, pressed in Earl's Court); Nutbourne's earthily savoury Pinot Noir.
Tucked away on the Digey, one of the less choked little streets in old St Ives, St Eia is a come-hither wine shop, with a café not so much attached as inveigled topologically into it. The good news is that they now take boo… Read more
Tucked away on the Digey, one of the less choked little streets in old St Ives, St Eia is a come-hither wine shop, with a café not so much attached as inveigled topologically into it. The good news is that they now take bookings – so there's no need to hang around and pounce when a seat becomes available. An all-day snack menu offers olives and salted Marcona almonds to nibble on, as well as paprika-spiced broad beans; after that, expect plates of luscious Cornish charcuterie, piquillo peppers with Graceburn soft cheese or – the pièce de résistance at our whistlestop – a row of buttered Coombeshead sourdough soldiers, each topped with a perfect Cantabrian anchovy. Isle of Wight tomatoes are a feature too (strictly seasonal, of course), while other possibilities might range from pork terrine with pickles to French onion soup topped with a Comté croûton. To finish, lemon polenta cake, made in-house that morning, is moist and moreish, soft as Madeira cake and singing with citrus. Wines by the glass reflect some of the more interesting biodynamic and organic gear with which the shelves are crowded. Only a fool would turn down a shot of Moreau-Naudet's partly barrique-aged Chablis.
Convivial village hostelry with strong Cornish overtones
The stone-built St Kew, dotted with hanging baskets, and with an expansive trestle-tabled garden full of mature trees behind, dates from the reign of Edward IV, and aims to cover as many of the requirements of a village pub as pos… Read more
The stone-built St Kew, dotted with hanging baskets, and with an expansive trestle-tabled garden full of mature trees behind, dates from the reign of Edward IV, and aims to cover as many of the requirements of a village pub as possible. There are four dining areas, all imbued with an infectious air of country-inn conviviality, and the kitchen also works to the principle of broad choice.
In between the chicken Caesar salad, beer-battered haddock and short-rib cheeseburgers with pickles and fries, there are some more speculative options for the adventurous: raw scallop with ponzu, brown crab emulsion and apple; beetroot gnocchi with courgettes, romesco and feta; pork chop with pea and bean fricassee, Cornish new potatoes and cider sauce, for example.
Desserts cover a lot of ground, from sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce, ginger crumb and clotted cream to poached pineapple with coconut ice cream. There's usually some Cornish cheese too (perhaps Trelawny from Whalesborough Farm Foods in Marhamchurch), while Sunday roasts might bring apple-smoked sirloin and rare-breed pork belly with their time-honoured seasonal accompaniments – all cooked with consummate care and attention to detail. Local beers and ciders are the jewels in the crown of a drinks list that also takes in some well-chosen mainstream wines.
* Chef Angus Bell and the team from nearby restaurant Mine are now running the kitchen. Watch for a new review coming soon.*
Smartly updated as a pub/restaurant with three boutique apartments upstairs, this born-again Victorian p… Read more
* Chef Angus Bell and the team from nearby restaurant Mine are now running the kitchen. Watch for a new review coming soon.*
Smartly updated as a pub/restaurant with three boutique apartments upstairs, this born-again Victorian pub (circa 1892) is reaping the benefits of a modest makeover – although the views of Falmouth harbour from its dining area are as entrancing as ever. The chef is keen on Cornish ingredients, and fish from the local boats is a strong suit – perhaps BBQ monkfish partnered by chicken butter, smoked potatoes and mussels. The kitchen also has its own butchery and a ‘waste nothing’ philosophy that yields some intriguing results on the plate, from shepherd’s pie nuggets with the pub’s own brown sauce to smoked beef-cheek dumplings with smashed peas and pickled onion rings. Not surprisingly, top-notch Sunday roasts are a given here, and readers are full of praise for the ‘perfectly cooked’ rump of aged beef with all the trimmings (including ‘Yorkies as big as your head’). For afters, don’t miss the blackberry cheesecake mess or the ‘divine’ sticky toffee pudding with a ‘burnt’ banana, Pedro Ximénez caramel and clotted cream. Service is ‘attentive but not overbearing’, while the drinks list features some well-annotated global wines alongside expertly crafted cocktails and local ales.
Gorran is apparently a thing of many parts – Haven, High Lanes and Churchtown – but they are essentially one. Just by the titular church is the Barley Sheaf pub, which has stood since Queen Victoria's accession but has… Read more
Gorran is apparently a thing of many parts – Haven, High Lanes and Churchtown – but they are essentially one. Just by the titular church is the Barley Sheaf pub, which has stood since Queen Victoria's accession but has been sensitively freshened and spruced into the modern era, with a clean light look, a black slate floor and many local artworks on a seascape theme for sale. The cooking keeps its feet firmly in the pub ethos, rather than pitching into pretension, so there are steak and ale pies, fish and chips, and sausage and mash for the traditionalists, but some more cutting-edge dishes too. A hefty ham hock croquette in golden crumb is crammed to capacity with bright pink meat, and accompanied by a warm serving of celeriac rémoulade bristling with mustard seeds and a dollop of truffle mayo. That could be followed by plaice in chicken jus with chestnuts and cavolo nero. Veggie dishes lack nothing for substance and richness, if our wild mushroom ravioli with capers and celery in a thickly memorable tomato ragù is any indicator. Finish with sticky toffee pudding and clotted cream, or an inspired cheese selection. A simple wine list just about does the job, but could afford to be a little more adventurous in the context.
Overlooking the western end of Porthmeor Beach, away from the tourist hugger-mugger of downtown St Ives, the Fish Shed is swathed in scents of the sea. If you turn up sandy-footed from pottering on the beach, nobody will object. P… Read more
Overlooking the western end of Porthmeor Beach, away from the tourist hugger-mugger of downtown St Ives, the Fish Shed is swathed in scents of the sea. If you turn up sandy-footed from pottering on the beach, nobody will object. Populist seafood dishes take in the likes of crab Scotch egg, Cornish mackerel tartare or crisply battered Korean-style monkfish, and the bracing freshness of it all comes as standard – although execution can be a little muted. For afters, there could be a fairly hefty miso treacle tart with Cornish honey and yoghurt sorbet – enough for two, unless you're an incorrigible dessert fiend. A short wine list opens at £7.50 a glass.
Tucked away in tranquil St Keverne, not far from Helston, the Greenhouse fits neatly in among its neighbouring cottages. It's the kind of place that readers characterise as a 'gem', appreciating the intimate feel of the dining roo… Read more
Tucked away in tranquil St Keverne, not far from Helston, the Greenhouse fits neatly in among its neighbouring cottages. It's the kind of place that readers characterise as a 'gem', appreciating the intimate feel of the dining room and a host, Neil Woodward, who enjoys talking about food. Out back, Leonie Woodward conjures a larder of seasonal organic ingredients into dishes that draw inspiration from various global cuisines, with stunning results. Seafood is an obvious strong point: there may be Japanese-influenced treacle-cured trout with nori and tomato ponzu to start, but regional traditionalists will covet Falmouth Bay scallops roasted on the half-shell with lemon, garlic and seaweed butter. For main course, it might be butter-roasted monkfish in crab velouté with cockles and leeks, while the Asian theme resounds again for miso-roasted pork belly and anise-scented tenderloin with roasted beetroot and raisins. Finish with a baba, doused not in rum but carob liqueur, paired with a poached pear, and given the regional imprimatur of a clod of clotted cream. Organic and biodynamic wines, as well as local Cornish ales, are the stock-in-trade of the brief drinks list.
Named after a brooding rocky promontory which is said to resemble the grotesque head of a gurnard, this gloriously remote clifftop inn is unmistakable, with its moniker emblazoned on the roof and its mustard-yellow exterior positi… Read more
Named after a brooding rocky promontory which is said to resemble the grotesque head of a gurnard, this gloriously remote clifftop inn is unmistakable, with its moniker emblazoned on the roof and its mustard-yellow exterior positively gleaming in the sunshine. Inside, all is cosily weatherproof, with open fires and comfy sofas for those who fancy a pint of real ale or cider in the bar. There’s an equally unfussy vibe in the dining room, where vivid primary colours, scrubbed-wood tables and paintings set the tone. Given the location, it’s no surprise that locally landed seafood is a mainstay of the menu – and that includes the ugly old gurnard from time to time. More likely are dishes such as cod paired with braised beef short rib, roasted shallot and gremolata or hake jazzed up with a global grab-bag of vada pav, aubergine pickle, dukkah and coriander. Otherwise, home in on duck leg with wild garlic and goat’s cheese orzo or roast broccoli with nettle and Stilton purée. Desserts are the heart-warming, comforting kind – perhaps sticky toffee pudding topped with a dollop of Cornish clotted cream for good measure. The owners’ slogan is ‘eat, drink, sleep’, so expect some idiosyncratic libations and guest rooms for those wanting to stay over.
This addition to the Pig Hotel collection is an imposing 15th-century building overlooking the waters of Harlyn Bay near Padstow. 'Rustic and relaxed' is an apt description. On arrival, you’ll pass the resident pigs and chic… Read more
This addition to the Pig Hotel collection is an imposing 15th-century building overlooking the waters of Harlyn Bay near Padstow. 'Rustic and relaxed' is an apt description. On arrival, you’ll pass the resident pigs and chickens, while inside all is 'fashionably shabby'. Reception has an open fire and forms part of the surrounding lounge area, a homely spot for chilling out. The open kitchen chimes perfectly with the rustic feel of the restaurant, which is spread across several rooms, creating an intimate setting. Most produce is sourced from within a 25-mile radius, some is home-grown, and the results could be summed up as follows: 'simple cooking, simple local ingredients, no fuss, great staff'. Our visit took in a 'very refreshing' chilled beetroot soup given heft with a dollop of horseradish cream followed by red mullet served with a sweet onion purée and crispy, salty ‘Mr Bartlett’s’ coppa, plus sides of Cornish new potatoes with wild-garlic salt and buttered garden greens. After that, a foraged elderflower jelly teamed with a Bacchus sorbet providing a light finish. British wines are championed on a list that opens at £33. In season, there's a popular lobster shed across the driveway in front of the hotel; here, visitors can tuck into flame-grilled steaks and seafood after a day at the beach.
For such a diminutive building, the Rocket Store certainly makes a bold statement on Boscastle’s inner harbour wall. Built in 1898 to house horse-drawn rocket-firing equipment for the coastguard, the single-storey brick buil… Read more
For such a diminutive building, the Rocket Store certainly makes a bold statement on Boscastle’s inner harbour wall. Built in 1898 to house horse-drawn rocket-firing equipment for the coastguard, the single-storey brick building, with outdoor seating spilling out onto its equally modest courtyard, is quite a contrast to the centuries-old, whitewashed cottages that the village is known for. Owned by Alex Key and Freddie Woodruff, the kitchen specialises in small plates featuring fresh seafood from their own boat, plus some meat from their nearby farm and consignments of local produce – organic, where possible. The short, daily changing blackboard menu is fish-led, often with Asian flavours giving heft. A charred, soft-as-you-like scallop in luscious seaweed butter may act as a prelude to slices of wild sea bass sashimi with fish sauce and Thai basil. Elsewhere, ginger, apple and cucumber snow, topped with red chillies, offer a great foil to the crunch of fried chickpeas and the cooling powers of a yoghurt and mint dressing. More substantial plates range from a flawlessly cooked Dover sole on the bone with spring onions and garlic to John Dory in lemongrass and lime-leaf butter, while vegetables are given equal attention – say on-point, charred hispi cabbage with seaweed butter or smoked potatoes infused with salsa verde. Desserts are just as captivating, especially an orange and caraway-seed chocolate pot with clotted cream (beautifully bitter and just the right side of sweet) and a deliciously tart passion fruit posset. A selection of classic and natural wines sits alongside bespoke cocktails and organic beers.
Sitting majestically at one end of Padstow, Rick Stein's family-run flagship is truly one of the heritage addresses of British gastronomy. In business continuously since 1975, it has played a major role in overcoming what was the … Read more
Sitting majestically at one end of Padstow, Rick Stein's family-run flagship is truly one of the heritage addresses of British gastronomy. In business continuously since 1975, it has played a major role in overcoming what was the national ambivalence about seafood. Those who always claimed they liked fish but didn't know what to do with it have been inspired by a range of dishes that has never shied away from stepping off the straight and narrow – witness the likes of Indonesian fish curry with green bean and coconut salad, or vigorously spiced monkfish with roasted butternut squash and crispy chicken skin.
At heart, though, it's sterling tradition that is celebrated most fulsomely here, producing hearty Provençal-style fish soup with rouille and croûtons, platters of cold or hot fruits de mer, and main courses such as casseroled hake, chargrilled sea bass with tomato, butter and vanilla vinaigrette, or the show-stopping lobster thermidor in cream and Noilly Prat, served with skinny chips. People appreciate the bright, relaxing atmosphere and the first-class service, and even if the cost of it all can mount up formidably, it is usually felt to be worth the outlay.
Bistro-style desserts round things off with classics such as lemon tart, chocolate fondant or passion-fruit pavlova. Wines by the glass open with a quality Muscadet Sur Lie, the kind of seafood-friendly white that has all but disappeared from other lists. The quality throughout is highly commendable, but markups may well be found too hot to handle.
A stone's throw from the harbour wall, this characterful, whitewashed building is perfectly positioned for anyone wanting to enjoy a great-value, globally inspired brasserie menu while watching the boats on the water. The airy, gr… Read more
A stone's throw from the harbour wall, this characterful, whitewashed building is perfectly positioned for anyone wanting to enjoy a great-value, globally inspired brasserie menu while watching the boats on the water. The airy, ground-floor dining room spills out on to a small terrace, with the owners' Deli & Ice Cream Emporium close at hand. Expect a daily menu ranging from warm English asparagus with pea purée, Rosary goat’s cheese, toasted milk bread and herb oil dressing to soy- and honey-glazed Primrose Herd pork belly with a hog’s pudding, champ croquette, crackling, celeriac purée, pak choi and apple sauce.
Fabulous views of St Michael's Mount are just part of the attraction at this pared-back but child-friendly café at Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens. Lunch might be local hake with Bombay potato terrine, rainbow chard and a coc… Read more
Fabulous views of St Michael's Mount are just part of the attraction at this pared-back but child-friendly café at Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens. Lunch might be local hake with Bombay potato terrine, rainbow chard and a coconut and tomato sauce (plus a glass of white on the side), or simply opt for pudding (sticky pear and date, perhaps) with a fancy hot chocolate. There are breakfasts, Sunday roasts and the odd evening session too, but the seasons and weather dictate the scale of what's available, so check first. Note: all tables are reserved for sit-down meals in summer; coffee and cake available from the takeaway hut.
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